


Love and War

by Lesetoilesfous



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, M/M, Multi, Past Abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-13
Updated: 2017-04-13
Packaged: 2018-10-18 11:32:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,651
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10616040
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lesetoilesfous/pseuds/Lesetoilesfous
Summary: Taako, Merle and Magnus take some much-needed downtime planet side. They're halfway through a drinking contest when Taako bumps into an old acquaintance.This story is about what happens next.Set post Crystal Kingdom/ pre Suffering Game.





	1. You're On, Little Man

**Author's Note:**

> Whilst rape is referred to in this fic it is not explicit or graphic. The same goes for an abusive relationship, which is referred to but not described in detail. 
> 
> There is one short flashback in chapter 2. Please skip it if you do not want to read it.
> 
> Canon-standard strong language is used throughout.

“You’re on little man!”

 

Taako’s grin is downright feral as he orders ten shots of knot-whiskey from the bartender. Magnus is fairly certain that this isn’t what Lucretia had in mind when she decided to give them some “planet-side down-time”, but he’s pretty sure it’s going to be funny. He sits back, nursing his cider, and watches.

 

The bartender: a tall, Tiefling woman, eyes Taako and Merle suspiciously before artfully pouring a waterfall of liquid into a line of stout shot glasses. The stuff is so strong it makes Magnus’ eyes water, but both of his friends knock it back like it’s nothing.

 

By the time they’ve hit their third shot, neither has so much as paused for breath, and Magnus finds himself frozen with his drink halfway to his mouth.

 

At shot number five, Merle says, “ha! That a little strong for you there, buddy?”

 

Taako wipes a stray tear away from the corner of his eye and laughs. “You wish, half pint, it was just a stray eyelash.” He offers the heavily mascared hair up as proof on his pinky finger.

 

Merle growls. “A likely story.”

 

Taako’s smile sharpens a little too far on one side to strictly be called pretty. “It sounds to me like you’re bluffing, Merle. Methinks the lady doth protest too much.” He laughs and swallows another three shots like they’re warm milk.

 

Merle huffs a protestation, and stoutly follows his lead. Between them they drink ten shots of knot-whiskey in less than five minutes. Magnus isn’t sure who they think is going to pay for this, but neither of them are wobbling, and Merle is already ordering another ten, so he figures he’ll wait it out.

 

Taako is mid laugh when one of his ears: which had been pricked high and slanted forward (a dead giveaway that he was far too confident going into this drinking contest, not that Magnus had bothered to point it out) flickered down and back.

 

Magnus didn’t even question his own instinct to look back. Still, he doesn’t see much: the bar is fairly crowded, but that’s hardly surprising on a Friday night in a middling sized town like this one. Patrons mill to and fro, with guys and gals and people who are neither or both holding hands or doing more than that against the great oak posts that hold up the ceiling.

 

Magnus grimaces a little and looks away from the lovers, and in that moment he misses the human, almost as broad as he is, walking towards the bar.

 

So it comes as a surprise when a stranger smacks Taako’s back and shouts above the general din, “Taako! I can’t believe you’re not in prison!”

 

Magnus nearly chokes on his drink. Taako jumps, and settles into a tense posture, his shoulders stiff and ears pinned back. Merle, on his fifteenth shot of knot-whiskey, doesn’t seem to notice.

 

The human continues, with a broad smile that belies the tone of his words. “I mean, I guess they must give shorter sentences for manslaughter or something? It wasn’t technically “mass murder”, what you did, right?”

 

Magnus opens his mouth to interject but Taako, dark skin clearly ashen in the dim light of the bar, speaks first. “Right. It’s.” He hesitates. “Good to see you, Sazed.”

 

Sazed pushes between Magnus and Taako, resting one thick elbow on the bar. “Yeah, you too I guess. Man. You must have got out recently though, right? Still, I’m betting nothing gets rid of the guilt, about what you did, you know? Do you even cook any more? Damn, I hope not.” He laughs and passes a dusty, calloused palm through thick, curly hair. “Sorry babe, that’s probably a bit insensitive of me, right?”

 

Taako downs a shot of knot-whiskey. “No, it’s fine.”

 

Magnus scowls. Merle orders another ten shots of knot-whiskey, which is about the point in the evening that Magnus realises they categorically cannot stay to foot the bill. He resists the urge to smack his head against the bar.

 

“So what are you doing here anyway?” Sazed continues, shooting a smile at the bartender. “I mean, I assume it’s not that fucking cooking show.”

 

Magnus does not suffer bullies. “Hi, I’m Magnus Burnsides, I don’t believe we’ve met.” He forces a smile that mostly just bares his teeth and shoves his hand between Sazed and the bar, pushing him back a little and away from Taako.

 

Sazed looks down at Magnus’ hand like it’s personally offending him before glancing back at Taako. “Is he with you?”

 

Taako opens his mouth, but this time Magnus beats him to the punch. Taako takes the opportunitiy to drink another three shots of whiskey. “Yes, I am. Taako is a good friend of mine.”

He emphasises the words “good” and “friend” and holds eye contact even when Sazed’s drink arrives. For a moment, Sazed is non-plussed, but then he looks Magnus up and down and snorts a little, glancing back at Taako.

 

“Your “friend” looks a lot like me, sugar, you have a type or something?”

 

Taako scowls, and he pushes his back hair over his shoulder as he says, “I’d consider Magnus to be an upgrade.” He offers a smile that could literally sparkle and Magnus wants to cheer. “No offense.”

 

Sazed frowns, but then he glances down at the silky, magenta skirt Taako’s wearing. His grin turns sly. “Love that little number.” Taako nearly responds, but Sazed continues, “it’d look even better up around your hips.”

 

Magnus scowls and says, loudly, “that’s inappropriate”.

 

Sazed shrugs, making an exaggerated wink as he leans in, and this close Magnus can smell the beer on his breath. “Nah man, it’s cool, we used to fuck.”

 

Magnus narrows his eyes. “Is it cool, though? Is it? Really?”

 

“What, are you fucking him too?” Sazed sneers when he looks back at Taako. “I think you need to learn what the word platonic means, cupcake.”

 

“Yeah ok, that’s enough.” Magnus stands, one hand moving to Railsplitter. Taako looks up sharply.

 

His ears are still pinned back, but his voice cuts through the noise when he says, “it’s fine, Magnus.”

 

Chuckling, Sazed snorts, “down boy!”

 

Magnus orders another cider and stews, curling one hand into a fist that he sets between himself and Sazed like an unused weapon. Taako takes a deep breath before turning to Sazed. “So, how’ve you been?”

 

Sazed swigs his beer. “Oh you know, up and down.” He laughs again. “A hell of a lot better since you left my life, if I’m honest.” He looks sidelong at Taako. “I mean, you know what a diva you are, right?” He doesn’t turn to Magnus as he continues. “I’m sure your new ‘friends’ have noticed how high maintenance you are.”

 

Taako opens his mouth to reply but Sazed barrels onward. “Speaking of, is this seriously the kind of company you’re keeping these days? I mean babe, I knew you were a slut but I thought you had, like, standards.”

 

Magnus slams his cider down onto the bar so hard the glass cracks. The bartender glares at him from the other end of the room where she’s serving a group of drunken halflings. Magnus ignores her, turning instead to Sazed and grabbing his arm.

 

“Ok, so here’s the thing. You don’t call people sluts. You definitely don’t talk to my friends like that.”

 

He sees Taako opening his mouth, probably to hold him back again, but it’s at this moment that Merle downs his twenty...fifth? Shot of knot-whiskey and bellows with a hearty dwarven roar, “I cast...Zone of Truth.”

 

A shockwave of magic the colour of sunlight on leaves in summer ripples through the building. Later, Magnus will swear that he felt Pan grinning at the chaos that was about to ensue.

 

Sazed stares at Taako and says, with a wide smile, “I want to make you scream.”

 

Taako shudders bodily, but he’s speaking before Magnus has a chance, and he’s shouting more than he needs to over the general furore of the pub itself. “You disgust me! But I’m still scared of you.” Bright green eyes wide, he slaps a hand over his mouth. Sazed starts to laugh. Magnus stands up.

 

“I dislike you, a lot. And I cannot stop thinking about how much I want to kill you.”

 

Sazed pales, looking up at Magnus who, at his full height, stands a good five inches taller than him. “Wait, what?”

 

Bigby’s Hand grabs Magnus and pushes him back by about a foot, and behind Sazed Taako stands up too, hand outstretched and crackling with power. He says, calmly, “Magnus, I don’t need you to fight my battles for me.”

 

Sazed turns to Taako. “Yeah, right. When have you ever been able to stand up for yourself?” In a sudden movement he jumps forwards, raising his hand as if to strike. Taako flinches and Sazed sneers. “That’s what I thought. You’re pathetic. A fucking coward. And you think you’re better than me.”

 

Taako braces himself. “Maybe that’s true. But I’ve changed since I knew you. I’ve healed. I’m stronger than I was before.” He meets Sazed’s eyes. “I’m stronger than you.” He picks up the Umbra Staff.

 

Magnus says, loudly, “that was awesome!”

 

Taako’s mouth curls at the side. “You liked that? Watch this.”

 

He holds up his staff, and Sazed raises his hands in surrender. “Your power frightens me, please don’t hurt me.”

 

Taako’s face contorts into a mask of something that looks like pain or rage or both. “How many times did I ask you that?”

 

Magnus stares at Sazed when he answers. “Ask what?”

 

Taako grimaces. “How many times did I say to you “please don’t hurt me”?”

 

Sazed is still for a moment, and his expression is tense and twisted as he visibly battles with the spell. After a long pause, he chokes, “I lost count.”

 

It’s at this point that the bartender comes back, brandishing her wand. “This looks real entertaining boys, but I’m not legally allowed to endorse magic under the influence on my premises.” She blinks, then glares at Magnus. “Did that drunken dwarf cast Zone of Truth in my bar?”

 

“Yes he did.” Magnus says, not entirely willingly. “Also, we’re not going to be able to pay this bill.”

 

The bartender scowls, and she’s about to say a spell when an Orc throws a chair at a Goliath. “Oh fuck.” She says. Then a dwarf smashes a bottle over another dwarf’s head, and suddenly the bar descends into chaos.

 

Taako raises the umbra staff, and the point begans to burn a molten amber. He looks Sazed in the eye and says, “I am better without you.” Sazed ducks and rolls as Taako releases a powerful scorching ray which hits the wall with a bang and leaves in its wake a line of shocked, drunk patrons.

 

Magnus raises his eyebrows at Taako. “Really?”

 

Taako grins a little. “What can I say, my dude? He gets on my nerves.” And then half a dozen people are running at them.

 

Merle laughs and says, loudly. “Finally, we’ve gone somewhere fun.” He stoutly dispatches two goblins with his warhammer as if they were a pair of bowling pins. They land on the floor in an unconscious heap, and Magnus has a moment to wonder exactly how drunk the old dwarf really is before he’s wrestling a troll.

 

They make it out alive, which Magnus considers to be a success. All three of them are pretty banged up, but they’re laughing, and Taako falls without apparently thinking onto Magnus’ shoulder as he recounts, in wheezes between hiccoughs, the way that two dragonborn managed to headbutt each other unconscious in front of him.

 

Dusty, bloody, and stinking of booze, they sit slumped on the street as Merle administers a judicious helping of healing magic. Above them, the night sky is clear, and Magnus can almost imagine that he can see the tiny little docks and windows of the moon base. A little cautiously, he slings an arm around Taako’s shoulders. When the wizard doesn’t protest, he relaxes. They’re just fine.

 

A strong gust of wind picks up, and Taako’s ears flicker, and then he sits up. Magnus frowns at him, attention drawn away from the feeling of warm water wrapped around his aching bones where Merle is fixing his arm. “What’s wrong?”

 

Limping and swaying with a decidedly more drunken stagger, Sazed ambles towards them. Taako swears, scrambling unsteadily to his feet and running his fingers through his thick mass of hair: which is matted by now and sticky with alcohol and blood.

 

When Sazed is about six feet away, Merle looks up, and his hazel eyes are sharp as steel. “Oh. You.” Sazed seems surprised, all of his attention previously having been fixed on Taako. Merle takes a deep breath and dusts off his tunic. “Yeah. I didn’t like you.” And he raises one scarred hand.

 

A column of divine fire blasts down from the heavens onto Sazed’s swaying body. Taako and Magnus raise an arm to shield their faces from the heat and brightness that blasts outwards like a particularly emphatic sunrise. When the spell dissipates, Sazed falls to his knees.

 

Merle marches forwards, though on his way he’s stopped by Taako, who rests a hand on his shoulder. He looks up at him kindly and says, “Taako, you’ve said what you need to say. You don’t have to fight every battle alone.” And then he shrugs off his grip and stomps towards where Sazed is gasping for breath and patting at his still smouldering clothes.

 

Merle grabs him by his shirt and drags him up a little to stare into his eyes, and growls in a voice that cuts easily through the cool night air, “if I ever, ever see you near me or my friends ever again, so help me, by the power of Pan I will strike you down.” He shakes Sazed, hard, and roars, “do you understand me? There will be nothing left. Your relatives will not be able to scoop up the dust that remains of your bones when I’m through with you.”

 

By this point, even accounting for the moonlight, Sazed has become as white as a sheet. Merle roars again, “do you understand me?”

 

Sazed nods, rapidly, and then, when Merle lifts him higher, squeaks out a hurried, “yes sir.” Merle drops him into the dust and turns away, glowering.

 

“Good riddance.”

 

Taako and Magnus both stare at him, wide-eyed. Taako’s ears twitch between their resting horizontal and a position that’s a little higher than that as he says, softly. “Didn’t know you had in you old man.”

 

Magnus clears his throat to add, “me neither.”

 

Merle huffs, and gestures for Taako to sit so that he can reach the long cut on his forehead. “I can’t stand bullies.”

 

Magnus beams. “I believe we have that in common.”

 

“No shit.” Merle laughs. Taako blushes a little, cheeks a dark mulberry red, and says nothing at all.

 


	2. A Slow Dance With Death

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kravitz holds up his hand before Taako can try a strategy of flirtation that’s a little more pointed, and says, “are your friends in the habit of destroying powerful necromantic objects in order to summon me to their location?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kravitz and Taako talk. Please be aware there is a brief flashback to implied rape at the beginning of this chapter. Please do not read if you do not want to.

Taako is sitting on his bed with a chipped mug full of cocoa pressed between his long, slender hands. He has his legs folded and his elbows tucked between his thighs and his chest. He’s not sure exactly why the Bureau provided him with a bed, he knows Lucretia knows that elves don’t sleep. But he’ll admit that it provides a small modicum of comfort. Sometimes.

 

Merle has long since passed out. Taako is still not exactly sure how drunk the dwarf really was, and his agreement to a re-match had been a little more vehement than he’d normally be willing to allow. Magnus, he knew, was still awake: despite his lessons with Carey Fangbattle, the man continued to be nothing if not heavy footed. He’d been pacing in the room next to Taako’s for the past two hours, and Taako would have knocked on his door and just gotten over it if he hadn’t been working through his own crap.

 

It was hard to meditate with a mind as loud as his.

 

* * *

 

_Taako scrambled across the messy cotton sheets of his (their) bed as Sazed reached out to grab a fistful of his hair, and Taako couldn’t breathe and he thought he might be crying and his lip was swollen and fuck this shit these were supposed to be the best years of his life. They were the best years of his life and then, then - a rough hand grabs at his hips hard enough to bruise and Taako kicks back and the hand moves and twists his ankle until he shouts in pain._

_It wasn’t supposed to go this way. The hand in his hair slams his forehead against the wooden wall of his (their) caravan and Taako chokes and his face gets hot as something wet dribbles into his eye and the other hand has moved to pull at his pants and he’s so dizzy he feels like he’s moving through water. He thinks Sazed is saying something but he can’t hear it over the sound of his heart trying to thump its way out of his throat and onto the covers._

_He feels hair and warmth and skin on skin and then he’s just screaming and no one can hear him._

 

* * *

 

“I want to make you scream.” He’d said. Taako would never again give him the satisfication. Belatedly, he notices the mug of chocolate between his palms begin to bubble, turning an acid orange. The steam that rises from it smells sour and foul and Taako drops it in a spasm of movement.

 

The liquid burns into his rug, leaving a steaming hole behind it before puddling to sizzle on the metal floor beneath it. Taako tells himself he’ll buy a replacement and knows that he won’t.

 

“Is that normal?”

 

Taako jumps so violently he hits his head on the bedframe, and then he has to take a moment to bring himself back to his present reality and see Kravitz, of all people, standing before him with one dark eyebrow raised in an elegant arch.

 

“Did I scare you?”

 

Taako huffs, hands fluttering to touch his hair before he thinks better of it and sits back, with an effort, leaning on his arms as if he were utterly unbothered by the appearance of Death himself. Kravitz’s mouth twitches into something like a smile.

 

“Much as I would love to watch you affect nonchalance a little while longer, I believe I have a more pressing matter to attend to.”

 

Taako blinks. “Oh?” And he thinks, good. He needed a distraction.

 

Kravitz frowns a little, glancing around Taako’s cluttered, messy bedroom. Taako lifts his chin. He has a right to keep his habitat exactly how he likes it and this: strewn with sequins, glitter, velvet and pink feathers, is something close to exactly that. He refuses to be ashamed of it, up to and including the dirty cotton wool pads lying on the floor that he’s used to take off his makeup.

 

“Well, I think the operative word here is believe.”

 

Taako sits forward, resting his chin on his hand and fluttering his eyelashes in a way that he knows is irresistible. “A mystery, huh handsome? Does it have anything to do with your lover sitting before you on his lonely, lonely bed?” He spreads his palm across the covers in a universal gesture of temptation.

 

Kravitz considers this, continuing his inspection of the room before looking up at Taako and blushing. “Maybe?” Taako snorts, and Kravitz’s blush deepens. He holds up his hand before Taako can try a strategy of flirtation that’s a little more pointed, and says, “are your friends in the habit of destroying powerful necromantic objects in order to summon me to their location?”

 

This time Taako really is surprised. Not for long, though. “Magnus?”

 

Kravitz nods. “But he said you did it. The Eye of Ra is really not the kind of gemstone that you should be playing with.” Taako rolls his eyes, and Kravitz looks briefly offended. “That’s not a comment on your abilities, it’s just. It seems a little.”

 

“Dramatic?” Taako provided, taking a little mercy on the flustered man before him. (It was the suit that did it.)

 

“Well, yes. I mean. They know they can use their Stones of Far Speech, right? They have my frequency.”

 

Lazily, Taako stretches and lies down, holding his hand up before him to inspect his nails. “False alarm lover. Sorry about that, but I think Magnus was having you for a ride.”

 

Kravitz’ step is almost entirely soundless as he moves closer to the bed, but he doesn’t sit. Instead, he peers down at Taako with an expression starting at confusion and ending in concern. “I know that Magnus is reckless.” Taako snorts. “But I don’t think even he would use something as powerful as that unless it was an emergency.”

 

“And yet, here we are.” Taako gestures lazily at his body. “Utterly unharmed and un-endangered.” Kravitz purses his lips.

 

“Obviously. Hence my confusion.” He hesitates. “Did something. Happen?”

 

Taako really, really wants to not talk about this. His ears press flat back against his skull into his thick mass of hair. Kravitz follows the sharp movement and and his frown deepens. “Taako?”

 

Taako sighs: a long, world-weary, irritating kind of sigh that normally gets people off his back. Kravitz doesn’t go anywhere. He goes back to looking at his nails. He’s going to need to re-do them, after that bar fight. His mouth curls a little at the corner. It’d been worth it.

 

“Death to Taako?” Kravitz says again, a lilt of humour in his voice this time as he crouches down beside the bed. Taako looks at him from the corner of his eye.

 

“There was an altercation.”

 

Kravitz looks unconvinced. “Isn’t that sort of your day job?”

 

Taako laughs. “Well, yeah.” He rolls onto his side, and gives himself a moment to stare into the warm, dark curves and valleys of Kravitz’s face. Then he breathes. “It was an altercation of the emotional variety. My best guess is that Magnus panicked.”

 

Kravitz looks puzzled, and Taako doesn’t bother resisting the urge to reach forward and press his thumb over the crease between his eyebrows. Kravitz lets him, and Taako traces his brow ridge for a moment with his fingertip before pulling back. “I thought you didn’t...How do I put this delicately? Do, emotions?”

 

Taako laughs and taps his lips. “Give the man a prize. Man? Reaper? I have no idea what frame of reference I’m supposed to use here.”

 

Kravitz blinks. “Man is fine.” After a moment, he continues. “And that wasn’t a very effective evasion, love.”

 

Taako scowls, rolling onto his back. “Well it’s not my fault you’re good at catching sneaky things.” He stares at the ceiling. “Can’t you pretend that you didn’t notice, for once?”

 

Kravitz sits down, leaning his back against the bed and bending one leg as he folds his arm across his stomach. He says, “may I hold your hand, please?”

 

Wordlessly, Taako lets his wrist fall over the side of the bed. He tries not to jump when Kravitz’s cold fingers lace with his. For a moment, they’re both quiet. Magnus has stopped pacing. Taako makes a mental note to have a stern word with him in the morning.

 

“So who were they?” Kravitz’s voice is soft, and it makes Taako think of trees shuddering in a stormy breeze. He sighs.

 

“He was an ex. That’s all.”

 

Kravitz is quiet again. He’s begun to trace shapes on Taako’s palm with his thumb. Taako starts to count the tiles on the ceiling.

 

“You don’t talk about your past relationships often.”

 

Taako huffs. “Relationship. Singular. And I’m not sure it deserves the term.”

 

“So it was casual?”

 

Taako looks at the far wall and grimaces. “Something like that.” Kravitz’s thumb stops moving on his palm for a moment. Taako imagines that he can feel the questions crowding the space in his brain.

 

After another stretch of silence, Kravitz asks, gently, “care to elaborate on that?”

 

Taako thumps his head back against his pillow, but when Kravitz goes to let go of his hand he squeezes it tightly. “No. Yes. Fine. Whatever.”

 

Kravitz doesn’t say anything. Taako wraps his free hand around a bunch of fabric and clenches it tight. He takes a deep breath. He counts to ten. “We were. I was. I thought we were friends.”

 

Kravitz makes a soft, low sound of understanding. “And he thought otherwise?”

 

Taako scowls at the air. “You could say that. Lets just say he didn’t take “no” very easily.” It’s Kravitz’s turn to squeeze his hand, so hard it almost hurts. Taako does nothing. He says, hurriedly. “Things went south. He was rough, I was weak. Then I killed 40 people and he fucked off. End of story.”

 

He feels a little bit sick. After a little longer, Kravitz says, softly, “and tonight?”

 

Taako huffs, pulling his hand out of Kravitz’s grip and sitting up. “Tonight he showed up.” Kravitz looks up at him from his spot on the floor. His expression is infinitely kind and Taako isn’t sure he can stand it so he looks at his dressing table instead.

 

“How did that make you feel?”

 

Taako huffs, swinging his legs over Kravitz’s head and slipping down to sit between the wall and his lover with his arms around his knees. “Like shit. He hadn’t exactly gained any points on the old charm meter.”

 

Kravitz hums, one arm propped loosely on his knee. He reaches down, slowly, to take Taako’s hand in the other. When Taako doesn’t move, he laces their fingers together again.

 

Taako grumbles, “your hands are cold.” But he leans against Kravitz’s shoulder.

 

“Did he say something to you?” Kravitz’s voice is eminently level, it has been throughout the conversation, and Taako is fairly certain he knows him well enough by now to know that this is for his benefit, and not because he actually feels calm.

 

He scowls, and flushes, and wishes he hadn’t. “He said he wanted to make me scream.” He can’t stop hearing the words.

 

Kravitz’s hand tightens, hard, around his.

 

“He said what?” At the “what”, one of the roses in the vase on Taako’s nightstand withers and dies. Taako can feel the faint red glow of his lover’s eyes in the corner of his vision, but he doesn’t turn to look. Instead, he winces.

 

“I’d rather not say it again, if it’s all the same to you.”

 

Immediately, Kravitz’s shoulders relax. He says, “of course.” And then, “I’m sorry,” and then, quite at odds with the gentle tone of his voice, “what a fucking asshole.”

 

Taako nods. “Preaching to the choir, my dude.” He pauses, and smiles a little. “I nearly hit him with a wicked Scorching Ray, though.”

 

“Nice.”

 

Silence stretches between them. It’s soft and comfortable, and Taako’s starting to feel his mind grow calm when Kravitz says his name. This time he does turn to look at him.

 

“Yeah?”

 

Kravitz’s eyes are dark and earnest when he says, “are you ok?”

 

Taako glances away. “Kinda. I’ll get by.”

 

“May I touch your face?” Taako nearly says of course. He nearly says, obviously. But he bites his tongue instead.

 

“Knock yourself out.” Kravitz reaches up, and Taako stumbles on, blushing a little. “I mean, don’t actually do that. I sort of have kisses and a little bit of x-rated stuff planned in our near future and to be honest my relationship with Merle is not good enough for me to wake him up on his way to hangover town to resuscitate my undead lover.” Kravitz touches his cheek, and his touch is cold but not unwelcome.

 

Taako leans into it. Kravitz touches him like he’s fragile. He’s not. But it’s nice to be handled with care.

 

“I don’t think that’s going to be a problem.” He says, and he looks into Taako’s eyes, and Taako blushes more deeply and glances away, trying to force a laugh.

 

“Yeah, well, now you’ve jinxed it my dude, and I would know. Personal consort of Isthis and all that shit.” Kravitz’s knuckles gently drag over his cheekbone and under his jaw before his thumb comes to rest on his lips.

 

And then he says, “I want to protect you. But I don’t think that’s what you need from me right now. So I’m going to say instead that I am here for you, and I know that you can protect yourself.”

 

“Well shucks.” Taako says. “I can’t think of a witty comeback to that.”

 

Kravitz laughs, and his eyes are soft. “There are other ways to shut me up, if you like.” He doesn’t move. Taako thinks about it, and then he sits up a little, turning and moving one knee to rest between Kravitz’s legs. He pushes his hair back behind his head before resting his hand on Kravitz’s neck.

 

“Good tip.” He murmurs, and then he leans forward and kisses him.

 


	3. Working Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taako huffs, rolling his shoulders and moving back to circle Magnus. “So what? This exercise is meant to show me I should trust people?” He darts forward, fast, but Magnus is already blocking him. He moves back before Magnus can catch him. “Beating the shit out of me isn’t the most logical step from point a) to point b), buddy.”

“So I’m assuming that you’re still working through the feelings thing?” Taako drawls as he saunters into the icosagon. Magnus shrugs, stepping back towards the edge of the ring. He’s sweating a little, and judging by the still-swaying boxing bag, he’s got off to a head start.

 

Taako stretches whilst he waits for his answer. Magnus says, “something like that. Also, we need to work on your non-magical combat skills.”

 

Blinking lazily, Taako makes a gesture with his long, slender fingers. The boxing bag detaches from the ceiling and floats into the air. He raises an eyebrow. “Why would I need them when I can do this?”

 

Magnus rushes him. Taako has a second to step backwards and lessen the force of the impact before Magnus is hitting him, shoulder first, right in the gut. Winded, Taako falls back, scowling.

 

“Gods above, don’t go easy on me or anything, pal.” The last word is dripping with sarcasm, but when he spins to face Magnus on the other side of the ring it’s clear that his friend has not so much as broken a sweat. Taako frowns and lowers his centre of gravity.

 

“You can’t always concentrate on your spells.” Magnus says, calmly, walking to the right. Taako watches from the centre of the room. “And sometimes you’re going to be out of spell slots.” Magnus charges again, but now he’s on guard, Taako sidesteps easily.

 

“Isn’t that what I have you for, or something?”

 

Magnus catches himself from stumbling out of the ring and straightens. “In theory, sure. But I’m not always going to be there.” Taako’s ears flicker downwards, and Magnus catches their movement. “You’re too transparent.”

 

He rushes forward again, but this time he pulls a feint and catches Taako adjusting his movement ten seconds too late with a sharp hit to his shoulder. Taako narrows his eyes and murmurs, “ouch.”

 

He looks up. The room is ringed with rough handholds, and bars swing from the ceiling. A little higher up, there’s a rail. The Bureau recognises that not everyone fights with brute force.

 

Magnus moves again, and this time Taako runs right back at him. Magnus hesitates, and Taako uses the moment to jump, stepping up his body and jumping for a low hanging rail. With one powerful swing, he flips upwards, steadying himself at the top of his arc to balance on the bar. Some five feet below him, Magnus whistles softly.

 

“Nice.”

 

Taako’s cat-like pupils are dilated and he’s breathless but grinning. “I don’t have to fight like you do Mango.”

 

Magnus steps back, eyeing up the bar in a way that makes Taako move back and brace himself. “I’d say that’s fair.” Then he runs, and jumps, and grabs onto the metal with both hands, pulling himself up easily. Taako steps back into thin air.

 

He catches himself on another bar and hangs there, winded briefly by the unexpected movement. Magnus crouches on his former perch. “Not everyone plays as fair as I do, though.”

 

Taako grimaces, letting go of the bar with one hand to turn and swing towards another. The soft cloud of his hair brushes the metal as he jumps. “You think I don’t know that?”

 

There’s a heavy thump that makes Taako jump, and then there are hands on his ankles and he’s falling to the ground with a crash. Winded, he lies on his back and looks up at Magnus, whose features have gone soft around the edges. He holds out one large, calloused palm, and Taako takes it, allowing himself to be pulled back up onto his feet.

 

“I think you know it too well.”

 

Taako huffs, rolling his shoulders and moving back to circle Magnus. “So what? This exercise is meant to show me I should trust people?” He darts forward, fast, but Magnus is already blocking him. He moves back before Magnus can catch him. “Beating the shit out of me isn’t the most logical step from point a) to point b), buddy.”

 

For a moment, Magnus’ eyebrows pull upwards. Taako takes that moment to jab him hard in the side with his elbow before tumbling to the other side of the ring. He hears the rush of air as Magnus’ breath leaves him and grins, wide and feral. “Nice.” Magnus sounds genuinely impressed, and Taako’s ears flicker backward briefly.

 

“You’re humouring me,” he accuses. Magnus shrugs his broad shoulders and spreads his arms wide.

 

“You’re already mad at me for not going easy on you.”

 

Taako narrows his eyes, sprinting forwards and swinging a fast uppercut at Magnus’ jaw that has him reeling back. This time he doesn’t retreat, following with a vicious kick to the side of his knee and then slamming his knee into Magnus’ belly. Magnus’ right hook comes from the side and Taako jumps nimbly onto it before leaping away again.

 

“I never said that. You better fucking take me seriously by now.”

 

Magnus makes a sound of pain, and Taako is fairly certain that it’s not the physical injuries. “I do, I just -“ Taako runs forward, diving between his legs and standing back up to pull on his hair and force him into a chokehold. Magnus is not apparently bothered by this, and so Taako wraps his legs around his waist and puts his whole body weight behind it.

 

Magnus staggers, but keeps standing. Despite the fist in his hair, his eyes are soft when he meets Taako’s gaze and says, “I just worry, is all.”

 

With a huff, Taako lets him go. “That’s one all.” Magnus doesn’t contest it. Taako has the feeling he might have done, on another day. It irritates him even more.

 

“This is about Sazed, isn’t it?”

 

“Well, yeah.” Magnus doesn’t even have the decency to look ashamed. Taako glances up at the bars on the ceiling. “I mean, I figured you’d have guessed that by now.”

 

“Call me dim-witted.” Taako isn’t looking at him when he runs and jumps, grabbing one trapeze and using it to swing in one flip to another a little higher up. He twists on one arm and repeats the manoeveur, before crouching against the swinging wire to look down at Magnus, now a good fifteen feet below him.

 

Magnus doesn’t try to follow him. Instead he steps back to get a better view. Taako is half hidden by the shadows this high up. “So were you guys involved or something?”

 

Taako huffs and brushes a spray of soft, curly, bleached blonde hair out of his face. “Or something.”

 

Magnus is quiet, and he doesn’t move. The moment stretches until it breaks.

 

Taako rolls his eyes. “We were friends. He wanted it to be more than that. It became more than that.”

 

Magnus frowns. Taako readjusts his position, sitting on the bar and leaning back against the wire with one leg draped lazily over the side. Anyone who couldn’t cast levitate might have found it frightening.

 

“What did you want?”

 

Taako shrugged, pushing his hands through his hair. “Simplicity.”

 

Magnus nods. He’s sat down. Taako sighs, deeply. “So this was during, um, you know?”

 

“Sizzle it Up. Yeah. Best years of my life.” Taako’s voice falls flat. This time he corrects himself. “They really were.” His ears flicker downwards. “To begin with, anyway.”

 

“He hurt you.” Magnus’ voice is flat and low and knowing. Taako glances down at him sidelong. He’s staring at his rough, calloused hands. Taking another deep breath, Taako slips down the side of the bar and swings to a lower one.

 

“It’s not a big deal.” He makes an effort to keep the concern from his voice. Magnus frowns.

 

“This isn’t about me, Taako.” Taako flushes.

 

“Obviously. I’m just saying. If you were worried. Which you’re not. Then. You wouldn’t need to be.” Magnus makes a low, unhappy sound.

 

Then he says, “so why wouldn’t you let me hurt him?”

 

“I fight my own battles. Since when were you Mr Vengeance?” Taako winces. “Scratch that, sorry.”

 

Magnus waves him off. “Nah it’s cool. I’ve been living with the Calen thing for a while. It’s not.” He huffs, standing and brushing invisible dust from his pants. “It’s not easy. But it’s fine.” He glances up to see Taako sitting lazily on the bar he’d swung down to. “How’d you do that, anyway?”

 

Taako raises an eyebrow. “Can’t Carey teach you?”

 

Magnus scowls. “Well sure, but you’re right here.” Taako makes a point of looking at his nails, which are perfectly shaped in an unblemished French manicure. Glamours are hard work, but as far as he’s concerned the payoff is worth it. Better than the mess he had to deal with after the bar fight, anyway.

 

“I’m not much of a teacher.”

 

“Right.” Magnus marches to the edge of the room, climbing one of the ladders before jumping onto the monkey bars that cross the middle of the room. Taako watches him with one corner of his mouth curled.

 

“So Sazed was around when, uh. The thing happened?” Magnus grunts, pulling himself up to stand on the bars. Taako watches him from a comfortable distance of ten feet or so away. He glances at the door when Magnus asks the question.

 

“Yeah.” He forces a laugh. “For two days, anyway.” He stands, holding the wires supporting the trapeze like a child on a swing and moving his hips. “Apparently he couldn’t live with someone like me. Someone who’d done what I’d done.” He starts to build up momentum as Magnus jumps onto the first hanging bar. “It was a fucking joke.”

 

He leaps, catching another bar several feet above him and swinging around it to get right side up. Magnus growls. “Show off.”

 

Taako forces another laugh. “Are we training or talking about our problems?”

 

Magnus tries to shrug from where he is hanging six feet above the ground with some obvious effort. “Both? I kinda figured both.”

 

Taako tuts. “That’s greedy.” But he sits on his trapeze, swinging it for a moment before jumping and catching the one below, next to Magnus, between his calves and his thighs. Hanging upside down, he grins.

 

“You’ve got to use momentum dude. This isn’t going to work on strength alone.”

 

Magnus grimaces. “I know that.” But he starts to swing.

 

“Right, now build up a rhythm. Good. Feel the points where you’re highest and lowest. Then just, kinda, follow your gut?” Magnus jumps. His fingers grasp for the next bar, brushing it but not quite catching.

 

He falls to the ground and barely manages to roll and avoid taking the impact on his legs. Taako starts to laugh.

 

“You’re an awful teacher.” Magnus grumbles.

 

Taako wipes a stray tear from his eye. “I never claimed to be otherwise, my man.” He lets go of the bar in one fluid movement and flips on his way to the ground, landing with feline grace. Magnus scowls.

 

“Alright. You win that one. But we’re keeping round 4 on the ground.” Taako offers a one-sided shrug, still smirking.

 

“Seems fair to me.”

 

Taako moves a little further backwards, already on the defensive. Magnus remains still, in the centre of the ring, feet firmly planted.

 

Taako glances at the door, wondering whether flight is an option. It should be, right? It was pretty rare to find a battle he couldn’t flee from. Sort of rare. Rare-ish.

 

It’s at this exact moment that Magnus asks, very softly, “did he assault you?”

 

Taako trips over his own two feet, ears pressing sharply back into his hair. He looks at the door again. “I don’t know what you mean.”

 

Magnus shifts his weight from one foot to another. He says, “did he...did he sexually assault you?” His voice drops so low on the word “sexually” that Taako might not have heard it, were he not an elf with excellent hearing. He looks at the door again.

 

Then he stops moving, and pinches the bridge of his nose. Magnus stays still. Taako counts his heartbeats. After a long moment he says, quietly, “if you mean to ask whether he raped me, the answer is yes.” Taako clenches his jaw, and unclenches it again even as his fingers curl into fists that are so tight you can nearly see the knuckle bones moving beneath the skin. “Repeatedly.”

 

Magnus becomes, somehow, more still. Taako’s ears flicker, and he turns to look at his friend. Tension is running through every muscle in his body. If Taako’s fists are curled tight, Magnus looks like he’s about to split his own skin. Taako flinches backwards despite himself, and it’s this movement that makes Magnus exhale all of the tension in his body in one heavy rush.

 

He takes a deep breath and runs a hand over his face. “I’m sorry.”

 

Taako watches him carefully. “Don’t sweat it. Are you ok?”

 

Magnus laughs without humour. “Shouldn’t I be asking you that?”

 

Taako shrugs, stepping back further to lean against the wall and fold his arms across his chest. “Tomato tomato. What’s on your mind?”

 

Magnus’ hand moves to where Railsplitter would be if he were armed. Taako raises both eyebrows. Magnus rubs his hands over his thighs and slips them into his pockets, and when he looks up at Taako he looks embarassed. “I really, really want to hurt that man.”

 

Taako’s mouth curls up at the corner. “I appreciate the sentiment. But I can fight my own battles.”

 

Magnus pulls a face. “I know. Don’t you think I know? I just. I guess what I’m trying to say is...”

 

“I don’t have to fight my battles alone?” Taako offers a sardonic smile, arms still tightly wrapped around his slender chest. “Merle beat you to the punch on that fantasy hallmark card, Magster.”

 

Magnus lets his shoulders drop and relaxes his hands. “Yeah, but it’s not just that. I care about you. Imagining.” He stopped himself with a wince. “I can’t. I don’t want to. But I would do anything to stop that from happening to you again.”

 

Taako turns a faint shade of green. “If this is a proposition then I don’t -“ He looks back at the door again and Magnus’ eyes go wide.

 

“What? No! No. No way.” Taako snorts.

 

“You don’t have to be so vehement about it.”

 

“Yeah but no, first, I’m pretty straight? Mostly straight. Second, romance isn’t. You know it’s not. And anyway.” Magnus is flustered now, tripping over his words as he flushes before finishing with obvious relief, “you’re like a brother to me. And I would die for you. Like a brother. Because you’re my family and there’s no fucking way that I would ever let anyone hurt you like that ever again.”

 

Taako looks at the floor. “It’s not always within your control Mags.”

 

“I know that. But as long as I can do anything to help. And that includes like. Anything that brings up memories, any ways I can help you feel better about, about yourself and people and stuff.” Magnus trails off, scratching the back of his neck. “I might not have a lot of practice at this, but I mean it.” His gaze becomes distant, and Taako tilts his head to the side as he watches him. “Back at. Where I came from. Calen’s men. They did things, to people. Normally people who were vulnerable. And those people: it wasn’t just the thing itself. They’d get scared, and sad, and anxious. Some days they’d have trouble eating or dressing or washing. It was definitely difficult to leave the house. J---my wife used to check in on them. So. I know that there’s more to it than. Well I mean the thing is bad by itself. But what I’m trying to say is - ”

 

Taako stops him. “Magnus, I get it.” He pulls on an awkward smile. “Thank you.” And then he runs forward, and for just a moment, it looks like he’s going to hug him.

 

In that moment, Taako adjusts his course from belly to knees and with one mighty, magically-aided heave, knocks Magnus off his feet and onto his belly before scrambling around and kneeling on his upper back with both hands at his neck.

 

Muffled by the floor, Magnus shouts, indignant, “that’s cheating!”

 

Taako grins, getting off him. “Three-one to me Maggie. All’s fair.”

 

Magnus huffs and rolls to the side, sitting up. “You took advantage of my moment of weakness!”

 

Taako beams. “Isn’t that what the bad guys do?”

 

“I! Well.” Magnus scowls and smacks his fist into his palm, spreading his feet a little as he settles into a half crouch. “Re-match.”

 

Taako snorts. “You’re on, brother.”

 

Magnus is so surprised that when Taako hits him with a flying kick to the shoulder he falls straight back down. But when he opens his eyes, Taako is above him, laughing, with one hand outstretched. Magnus grins right back, and takes it.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's a wrap. Please do leave a comment, I really appreciate it and it's a great motivator to write more stuff. Y'all are awesome. Stay cool!


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